Looking Back At Highest Scoring Triple-Doubles In NBA History

Last Tuesday, December 27, Dallas Mavericks swingman Luka Doncic set the sports world ablaze by putting up a historic triple-double.

The Slovenian superstar scored 60 points, grabbed 21 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists in a come-from-behind overtime victory against the New York Knicks and cemented his spot in the annals of NBA history as the first-ever player to put up such an absurd stat line.

As the game of basketball continues to evolve, triple-doubles have no longer become uncommon, and players such as Russell Westbrook have even averaged triple-doubles for multiple seasons.

Prior to Doncic's historic outing, there have also been a handful of players to put together high-scoring triple-doubles in the past, so let's revisit some of the most incredible stat sheet-stuffing performances in NBA history.

James Harden - January 30, 2018

It's easy to forget that before James Harden transformed into a premier playmaker alongside Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, he was one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA during his days with the Houston Rockets.

He was also the founding member of the 60-point triple-double club before Doncic got his card in 2022.

In January 2018, Harden put up 60 points to go with 10 boards and 11 dimes to lead the Rockets to a 114-107 victory over the Orlando Magic.

That year, Harden went on to win MVP and helped lead the Rockets to a Western Conference Finals matchup with eventual champions Golden State Warriors.

Russell Westbrook - March 29, 2017

During the 2016-2017 NBA season, Russell Westbrook made NBA history by becoming the first player to ever average a triple-double, finishing the season with per-game counts of 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists, and a league-best 31.6 points.

This season was also known as Westbrook's revenge tour after he was abandoned by former longtime running mate Kevin Durant, who left the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors.

His highest-scoring triple-double of that season came in a late March contest against the Orlando Magic.

Westbrook put up 57 points, 13 boards, and 11 assists in the 114-106 win.

He would also go on to win MVP later that year and also went on to average a triple-double in three of the next four seasons.

James Harden - December 31, 2016

In 2016, James Harden welcomed the new year by putting on a New Year's Eve game for the ages as he lit up the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden for 53 points, 16 rebounds, and 17 assists, which was at the time one of the most prolific triple-doubles to ever be recorded.

This also tied a long-standing Wilt Chamberlain record of the highest-scoring triple-double which was set back in 1968

Harden and the Rockets went on to defeat the Knicks, 129-122.

Wilt Chamberlain - March 18, 1968

Wilt Chamberlain's dominance during his time in the NBA can be backed up by the number of statistical records he was able to set during his career.

It also says a lot that this particular Wilt performance—53 points, 32 rebounds, and 14 assists—was the highest-scoring triple-double for nearly 50 years until it was eclipsed by Russell Westbrook in 2017.

Wilt's monster triple-double helped the Philadelphia 76ers demolish the Los Angeles Lakers, 158-128 in this March 18th contest in 1968.

Elgin Baylor - December 13, 1961

The earliest to be recorded on StatMuse's list, it's safe to say that Elgin Baylor pioneered the concept of the 50-point triple-double.

In a December 13th, 1961 contest against the St. Louis Hawks, Baylor steered the Los Angeles Lakers to a 137-136 squeaker by putting up a monster stat line of 52 points, 25 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Making Baylor's 52-point outburst even more impressive—for a 6-foot-5 forward—was that this was during the time when the three-point line was nonexistent in the NBA.

To get to 52 points, Baylor shot 18-41 from the field and 16-17 from the free throw line.

Check out the full list here.